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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · spell · band · bowl · staff · rash · pitch · kid

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a ring
  13. staff — employees
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rash — hasty
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — child
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — a series
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bowl — a dish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com